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Mr Kenyatta is hosting Presidents Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda) as well as a Special Envoy of President Salva Kiir of South Sudan for the 14th Summit of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

Established in 2013, NCIP is a multilateral development initiative aimed at speeding up development in the region, particularly the improvement of infrastructure for ease of movement of people, goods and services in the region.

During the Nairobi meeting, the leaders are expected to review the progress made in the implementation of the various resolutions reached at during the 13th Summit held in Kampala, Uganda on April 23, 2016.

High profile official

Dr Matiang'i was the first high-profile government official to announce the presence in the country of sugar laced with mercury and copper about two weeks ago.

His colleagues, Mwangi Kiunjuri (Agriculture), Henry Rotich (Treasury) and Adan Mohamed (Trade) had a session with the committees on Monday.

During the Monday session, it emerged that it is the National Treasury that opened floodgates of contraband sugar.

The letter and Dr Matiang’i’s no-show angered MPs, some of whom accused him of lacking of respect for parliamentary committees.

Some said the fact that the letter was dates June 26, the same day he was set to appear, showed that the CS lacked courtesy for them and wanted to waste their time.

Some members, such as Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, asked the chairman, Kanini Kega (Kieni), to summon the CS, saying Dr Matiang'i was looking down upon parliament.

The committee later deliberated the issue and agreed to give Dr Matiang'i his last chance.

Mr Kega directed that the CS appear before the joint committee on Thursday at 8.30am, failure to which he will be summoned.